The federal government's plans in Germany to legalize cannabis will continue to be pursued, albeit in a watered down version. The original idea of making up to 30 grams of domestically produced and controlled intoxicants available in specialist shops or pharmacies for private use by adults has been temporarily rejected. Instead, consumers are allowed to privately grow three plants per person for their own use. Seven seeds or five cuttings are allowed. Possession of up to 25 grams of the hemp product instead of 30 grams will remain unpunished (see pillar 1 below > point 11). Self-supply via so-called Cannabis Social Clubs (CSC) is also permitted.
Legalization is coming! And now?
Bubatz will be legal – the traffic light coalition promised this when it took office. However, there has been little information about when and how exactly. Things are different now: the responsible ministers announced details at a press conference. You can find out the important information about this in this video.
The German Federal Ministry of Health thinks so
In the future, adults will be allowed to grow cannabis in certain quantities privately or in non-profit associations and will be able to obtain it in licensed specialist shops as part of a regional model project.
The federal government agreed on this after discussions with the EU Commission on the key issues paper of October 26, 2022. The aim remains to control quality, prevent the distribution of contaminated substances, ensure the protection of minors and the health of consumers as best as possible, and curb the black market.
In a first step, cultivation in non-profit associations and private cultivation should be made possible nationwide. In a second step, the distribution in specialist shops will be implemented as a scientifically designed, regionally limited and temporary model project. In the model project, the effects of a commercial supply chain on health and youth protection as well as the black market can be scientifically examined in more detail.
The key points of the 2-pillar model (“ Club Cultivation & Regional Model / CARe Health as the lead, as well as the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the Federal Ministry of Economics and the Foreign Office in accordance with their technical responsibilities. The EU and international law boundaries were taken into account. Based on the key issues paper, the federal government will now present a draft law in the short term.
The 2-pillar model in detail
When implementing the two-pillar model, the Federal Government bases its implementation on the international and EU legal framework. It will refer to the interpretative declaration made in 1993 when ratifying the 1988 UN agreement to the relevant UN bodies and issue a statement declaring the project to be compatible with the purpose and legal requirements of the UN agreements. In addition, close and transparent coordination with the European partners will be important.
The federal ministries are working on a division of labor for all parts of the project within the scope of their respective responsibilities under the overall leadership of the BMG. Both pillars will be incorporated into specific draft laws, with the working draft for Pillar 1 being presented in April 2023, followed by the draft law for Pillar 2. The results of the already commissioned scientific report on the effects of the legalization of recreational cannabis on health and youth protection in other countries are taken into account in both pillars.
At the same time, the Federal Government is continuing its efforts (particularly through the foreign missions) to promote its approaches to its European partners and to examine the extent to which the initiative of a sufficient number of EU member states will be possible in order to implement the relevant EU legal framework in the medium term to make it more flexible and further develop it.
What does the situation actually look like in Austria?
In Austria, possession and use of cannabis containing THC is illegal. Violations are punished with prison sentences of up to six months or fines of up to 360 daily rates. The Greens and Neos support decriminalization, but other parties do not. The legal cannabis active ingredient HHC was recently withdrawn from the market. This novel substance, which occurs naturally in the cannabis plant, has been popular among young people because it produces a state of intoxication. The ban was introduced on the grounds that there is little research into HHC and therefore possible risks cannot be ruled out.
Sources:
MrWissen2Go
German Federal Ministry of Health: Home cultivation and model experiment - Federal government agrees on key points on cannabis
Questions and answers: This is how young people should be protected from cannabis consumption
The German Hemp Association welcomes timely decriminalization and criticizes missed opportunities
Also read
Is cannabis more harmful than alcohol?
Be careful: digital cannabis investment scams
If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:
📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.
Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!
* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

